The floor sanders have plied the maple to smooth the way for the painters and liners who this week officially marked the new arena as the home of the Braves. The women’s basketball and volleyball teams will take the new Athletic Performance Center floor next fall hosting opponents in the 4500-seat facility. Fans and those attending other special events will enter the multi-purpose facility through a glass enclosed lobby facing Main Street. Skylights above that lobby were being finished this week.
March 19th, 2010 in
Arena
In preparation for the beginning of utility relocation for the Westlake Hall expansion and renovation the site is being fenced off to limit access to the building to the east entrance. In addition, pedestrian traffic to the west side of campus is being routed to a sidewalk between the Library and Westlake Hall. The sidewalk between Bradley Hall and Westlake is no longer available. The southwest door of Bradley Hall remains open but exits onto a temporary sidewalk. And, parking on the east side of Glenwood Avenue is no longer available with the exception of two handicap spaces.
March 12th, 2010 in
Westlake Hall
Dan Dolan, a Bradley construction management major and apprentice carpenter, has been laying the subflooring and hardwood basketball floors in the Men’s Practice Facility and the Athletic Performance Arena.
Members of Carpenters Local 183 have been busy in recent weeks laying the hardwood basketball floors in the Athletic Performance Center and the Men’s Practice Facility. The work holds special meaning for an apprentice assigned to the project. Dan Dolan, a transfer student with associate degrees from both Illinois Central College and Parkland College, began working on the floor project on January 20, the same day he began classes at Bradley.
A construction management major, Dolan is in the four-year Joint Apprenticeship Training School offered by Local 183 and the Midwest Regional Council of Carpenters. He expects to finish his apprenticeship in May 2012, the same time he anticipates graduating from Bradley. Dolan believes the hands-on experience he gains as an apprentice will complement his formal education.
Employed for this project by Kiefer Specialty Flooring, Dolan had never laid a hardwood floor before. “I work with some great guys. They’re more than willing to show me what to do.”
Dolan is trying to gain a variety of experience within the carpentry trade. So far, he has built scaffolding at power houses; installed mineral wool insulation under structural steel at an addition to OSF Saint Francis Medical Center; and framed one hotel and installed counters, shelves, and crown molding at another. His next job is on a bridge overpass on I-55 near Bloomington.
“I had never picked up a hammer until two years ago,” Dolan says. “I’ve had some really good journeymen who have shown me the way.”
Dolan is following in the footsteps of his brother Pat. “My brother is my inspiration. He graduated from Bradley in three years and worked full-time as a carpenter. I saw him succeed, and he loves it.”
Dolan works full-time and is taking nine hours of night classes this semester. “Literally, all my time and money is made and spent at Bradley.”
Being part of a construction project that will be such a vital part of campus is gratifying for Dolan. “I’m excited to see some games there. My blood and sweat are literally on that court.”
Bradley alumni, friends and athletics fans can now take a peek inside the new Athletic Performance Center and the Men’s Basketball Practice Facility by watching a video tour and slide show that were compiled during a recent media tour of the construction site.
The two facilities will serve as the new home for the women’s basketball and volleyball programs and the practice headquarters for the men’s basketball team. But as you take this virtual tour, you will quickly find out there is much more to the buildings than you’d expect.
The first thing that is evident upon arriving in the Athletic Performance Center is its size. The building appears smaller from the outside than when you’re inside. The exterior of the arena fits in to the Main Street landscape, cozily tucked between the new parking deck and Jobst Hall. But its 164,000 square feet of basketball courts, locker rooms, offices and more seem without end once you step inside
The main arena, which seats 4,500 people, will allow Bradley to host concerts, performances, commencement ceremonies and a myriad of other events on campus. The arena also features drop-down batting cages, video scoreboards and an intricate catwalk, which will allow the University to host events with complex lighting systems and shows. The arena is expected to meet the needs of the students, the Bradley community and the community at large.
“There are going to be so many different uses,” said Mike Keup, Executive Director of Campus Recreation and Athletic Facilities. “This is going to be a great facility for not only sports, but for hosting comedians and entertainers, as well as large campus events like Panfrasing and Late Night BU.”
Apart from the arena, the Athletic Performance Center will also include the Burklund Family Athletics Hall of Fame, a museum of Bradley Athletics history, administration offices, locker rooms, coaches’ offices and a concourse featuring ticket offices and concessions.
And that’s just the first floor.
Dodging hanging wires and stacks of dusty plywood, our tour climbed the stairs and made our way to the second level. There we found the Braves Club room and hospitality/conference room that both overlook the main arena floor; both can be used for pre- or post-game gatherings. The hospitality room also has an adjoining outdoor terrace, which provides a fresh-air overlook of Main Street, while the Braves Club room features views into both the Performance Center arena and the Men’s Basketball Facility.
Along the concourse in the arena fans will be able to watch action on the floor while at the concession stands or just walking around the building. The wide-open Performance Center is roughly the size of Carver Arena without the upper bowl and the sight lights look to be impressive.
In the lower level of the Athletic Performance Center is a state-of-the-art training facility, featuring a hydrotherapy center, treatment rooms and an expansive weight room specifically for Bradley student-athletes. The hydrotherapy center includes three unique whirlpools - one hot, one cold and one with an underwater treadmill, which is adjustable to accommodate the height of recovering athletes.
“The hydrotherapy center will be a great way for our student-athletes to speed up the recovery process,” said Kim Green, the facility’s Planning Supervisor. “By using things like the hot and cold tanks to alternate temperatures and the underwater treadmill, injured athletes will be able to quickly launch into their rehabilitation programs in a way they weren’t able to before.”
The Men’s Basketball Facility features four basketball courts, team locker rooms and lounges, with a main court similar to the one at Carver Arena. Additional features include coaches’ offices, student-athlete study areas and a weight room.
It also features a number of interesting quirks and Bradley trademarks. For instance, three entranceways feature large circular cutouts, where the original flooring of the Robertson Memorial Fieldhouse will be placed. The exterior of the arena was designed to mirror the design of the historic Fieldhouse, which sat on the same ground from 1949 until the spring of 2008.
In an interesting architectural design, the majority of the facility’s doors are taller than normal to accompany the athlete’s above-average heights. There is also a recycled truss from the Robertson Fieldhouse, which will be on display in the Bradley Athletics Museum.
Construction of the two facilities began in the spring of 2008 and is scheduled to be completed this summer.
In the news:
• Peoria Journal Star: BU Athletic Performance Center nearing completion (2/13/2010)
• WEEK/WHOI: Bradley Athletic Facilities To Be Completed This Summer (2/12/2010)
• WMBD/WYZZ: Bradley Athletic Center Closer to Completion (2/12/2010)
You can almost hear the sound of the basketballs being dribbled in the Men’s Practice Facility as installation of the maple playing surface for the gym is being completed. Next, the floor will be sanded and cleaned before receiving the sealer coat, game lines and the finish.
And, next door in the Athletic Performance Center, installation of the subfloor system for the court will begin the week of February 8 when the work on the upper walls is complete. Work continues on the glass entry and skylight system in that facility and electricians are installing wiring for the lighting systems. Installation of the four elevators in the building is also in progress.
Moderate weather continues to allow workers to make progress on the foundation of the Hayden-Clark Alumni Center. The north foundation wall has been poured and form work is being completed for the northeast footing. Three elevator pits also are being poured.
The maple flooring for the Athletic Performance Center and the Men’s Practice Facility have been delivered and installation of the subflooring will begin the week of January 18. Painting in the gym is complete and the retractable basketball goals have been installed.
Painting also continues in the APC. Ceramic flooring, carpet and wall tile are being installed in the the lower level and installation of sports flooring is scheduled to begin January 18 in the training room. Ceiling grids and lights also are being installed in these areas. And, passers-by on Main Street will notice that glass installation is continuing at the Lobby entrance area on the north end of the building.
The weather is cooperating nicely to allow progress on the Hayden-Clark Alumni Center. During the week of January 11 more than 200 cubic yards of concrete were poured for the west foundation wall and the north footing, and the north foundation wall now is being layed out and formed.
Snow and cold temperatures have not halted construction on the Hayden-Clark Alumni Center. The first footings along the west and north sides of the building have been poured and through the holidays contractors began forming the west foundation wall. Iron workers are completing the installation of the formwork, and, if the temperature rises just a bit, concrete for this wall may be poured the first week of January.
A groundbreaking ceremony for the Hayden-Clark Alumni Center was held on Founder’s Day this fall. The ceremony marked the beginning of the $10 million project that is being built on the west side of Bradley Hall. Since that time, old landscaping has been removed and excavation is underway for footings and the foundation. Weather permitting the first footings along the west wall may be poured in mid-December.
The Alumni Center will include:
• A large-scale ballroom opening to a balcony overlooking the Alumni Quad
• An Alumni Hall of Pride
• Library
• Wired conference rooms
• Alumni Relations offices
Alumni Jerry and Marilyn Hayden and alumnus Bob Clark and his wife, Kathleen, have donated a total of $5 million, nearly half of what is needed to build the facility.
